We are happy to announce that the Colorado Garden & Home Show has awarded a $50,000 grant to the Jessica Ridgeway Memorial Park in Westminster. For more information on the project you can visit The Westminster Legacy Foundation’s booth (#1513) where donations as small as a dollar will be accepted. The booth will have a model of a public art piece that will be installed at the park, purple ribbons, and a notecard for Jessica’s family.

“We’re delighted to have this major donation from the Colorado Garden Show, and it moves us much closer to our final goal,” said Westminster Mayor Nancy McNally in a quote provided by the city. “It’s fitting that their organization, which gives horticulture-focused grants to so many organizations, will help us build Jessica’s park.”

When the nonprofit’s executive director Jim Fricke held up a Denver Post story about the park at his board’s meeting, he said the response was immediate and bowled him over: the board voted to give the project $50,000. Now the recreation department has about $100,000 left to raise.

“It was kind of emotional for both of us, because it was such a big gift,” the City of Westminster Parks & Recreation director Don Tripp said of the meeting where Fricke told him about the grant. The park hadn’t applied. “They initiated this.”

“This grant certainly aligns with our mission to fund horticulture-related projects, but beyond that, the park will be an incredible place for Jessica’s friends and the community to play and remember the incredible girl she was,” said Fricke.

Contributions keep coming in, Tripp said: A staffer who passed a hat at an Adams County Council of Governments meeting came back with $500. “It’s very encouraging, but not at all surprising … This city adopted this little girl.”

Westminster management assistant Karen Layfield said Jessica’s death touched readers across the country.

“I got a phone call yesterday from a woman in Connecticut who saw the story through Facebook. She has family in Colorado, and an 11-year-old daughter with a striking resemblance to Jessica. They live only 10 minutes away from Newtown, and decided that they wanted to contribute $1 for every victim of Sandy Hook,” Layfield said.

Current designs for the new park include a zip line track ride, raised flower beds inscribed with knock-knock jokes and ribbon-themed benches and swings. The park’s theme is inspired by some of Jessica’s favorite things, including cheerleading, flowers and the color purple.